BJP seeks lone MNS MLA Sonawane’s support in govt formation

Sonawane said that Raj Thackeray had congratulated him on his victory over phone and called him for a meeting at his Krishnakunj residence in Mumbai.

Being the lone MNS candidate to have won the election, he is receiving more attention within the party and political circles. Sonawane, who dedicated his victory to MNS chief and people of Junnar, defeated his long-time rival Ashatai Buchke of Shiv Sena by a margin of nearly 17,000 votes.

Known for his organisational skills, 42-year-old Sonawane is a businessman by profession who became socially and politically active about nine years before joining the Shiv Sena.

Even though he was made the district vice-president of the Shiv Sena, owing to his differences with the party MP and other local leaders he was denied ticket in the last assembly elections and the party fielded Buchke as its candidate. This upset Sonawane and just ahead of this year’s Lok Sabha elections, he joined the MNS. In its first election in 2007 after the party was formed, the MNS had won 8 seats in civic elections in Pune. In 2012, the party won as many as 29 seats.

mumbai.news;ine@expressindia.com